What Fate Awaits NSA Spying Whistleblower

[G_j]

(a remembrance of the folks who were smeared and punished for crossing the Bush admin.)

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/6226

What Fate Awaits NSA Spying Whistleblower

Submitted by davidswanson on Sun, 2006-01-01 12:59. By David Swanson

Can there be any doubt that if the White House finds out who leaked the story of its illegal spying, fierce retribution will follow?
<snip>

And let us recall what became of General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, who dared to accurately predict how many troops would be needed to occupy Iraq. Defense Department officials leaked the name of his replacement 14 months before his retirement, rendering him a lame duck commander and embarrassing and neutralizing the Army's top officer.

We should also bring back to mind the fate of Major General John Riggs. He told the Baltimore Sun that the Army needed at least another 10,000 soldiers because it was being stretched too thin between Iraq and Afghanistan. General George W. Casey told Riggs to "stay in your lane" and not discuss the troops. Riggs
retired and was denied his full rank, officially for "minor infractions."

<snip>
We can't forget former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill. He was punished twice by the Bush Administration, once for opposing Bush's tax policy, for which he was forced to resign in January 2003, and later for providing a first hand account of the Administration's decision-making process in the lead up to the Iraq war. The Administration sought to discredit him by launching an investigation into his use of classified documents and whether he shared them with 60 Minutes in his interviews. The investigation did not uncover any improprieties. The White House also sought to discredit O'Neill through numerous anonymous comments in the press.

..many more..

[Hugin]

1. Thanks for the reminder...

Note also, that each of these was politically motivated smears and had nothing
to do with National Security.

Same as the spying. ;)

[H2O Man]

2. I have a feeling

that there are more than one whistlerblowers involved here. And while the White House feigns interest in having them caught -- to punish them, to scare other potential leakers, and to distract from the serious legal consequences of the other leak cases -- actually finding the leakers would be the last thing they want. My concerns is that, like Nixon, the bush/CHENEY administration will look to monitor journalists as threats to their insane policies.

[Hugin]

3. Sharp thinking!

I hadn't previously thought of this angle.... "Why catch someone quickly when you
can use the same stick to beat others?" Certainly fits the administration's M.O. and
track record... Starting with OBL.

Thanks for the insight.

[abluelady]

4. The Same Thing That Awaits

Bin Laden! They aren't even going to look for the whistle blower.

[Kahuna]

9. Right. It's all hot air. If they find out who did it, what crime will

they charge him/her with?

[WinkyDink]

5. Remember Daniel Ellsberg?

Bushco might be serious this time.

[H2O Man]

6. I think that Ellsberg

is the correct model for this case. One difference is that for a few days, Nixon thought the Pentagon Papers being leaked would help him, by discrediting JFK and LBJ. But that changed, quickly. Still, as much as the administration wanted to punish him, their case was compromised by their illegal activities. That may be the case here, too.

[jmowreader]

7. Oh, that guy's fucked

He's just fucked. He's probably looking at 20 years to life for crossing Bushco.

Guys, is there a way you can get a law school degree and get admitted to the bar in a week? Starting from scratch. I would LOVE to defend the whistleblower. I'd put Shrub on the stand and subpoena the taskings, then start asking him (remember, all witnesses in criminal courts are under oath) why he thought every one of the people on these lists--who probably include such al-Qaeda supporters as every Democrat in Congress--were agents of foreign powers.

[izzie]

8. Bush may find this one. Not the one on Wilson. Odd how it works.

--

[stevietheman]

10. This guy will be a political prisoner if he's imprisoned, and...

any court that tries him will be a Kangaroo Court. This is outrageous!